Babak Namdar

The fact that the European Union is one of the Islamic Republic’s most important trading partner is not exactly news, nor is the regime’s particular close relationship with Germany.
However, what may be of surprise to some is the amount of technology European firms are providing the government with the second highest rate of executions, the Islamic Republic.

A Wall Street Journal article discusses how some of Europe’s largest companies are helping the Islamic Republic monitor and track communications inside Iran.

There are some points worth mentioning regarding telecommunication companies operating inside Iran.

First, the regime has absolute authority over these companies meaning the Islamic Republic can at any point ask to eavesdrop on any calls.

Second, the telecoms are in a very powerful position since they essentially control a subscribers cell phone. The telecoms have the ability to push software to a cellphone (OTA, over the air) without the user even knowing.

Bruche Schneier, an expert on cryptopgraphy and security talks about telecoms turning on subscribers cellphone’s microphones to hear conversations.

While the European Union is thumping it’s chest declaring their support for human rights, it’s difficult to believe their rhetoric considering they are providing sophisticated technologies to a regime that has a history of violently suppresing human rights.  It is a sad case of irony, that while the EU discusses resolutions for “violations of obligations” by the Islamic Republic, it is helping the very same regime apprehend, arrest and execute political dissidents.

There are steps Iranians inside the country can take, for starters take out cellphone batteries before going to meetings, discussions, etc. It is not enough to just turn your phones off.  By doing this, the regime will not be able to track you or listen in via your cellphone.  Face-to-face meetings that can’t be eavesdropped via technology means they will have to send a human to track and listen to the conversation. Simple arthietmetic dictates they can’t track everyone, especially since a portion of the Intelligence Ministry is sympathetic to their compatriots.

In short, Iranians must begin using more primitive means of communication as they can’t be intercepted as easily as digital communications.

Tags: cellphones, european union, human rights, vevak

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 8th, 2009 at 7:39 pm and is filed under Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.